Philippe Sinault: “Take advantage of every opportunity”

The scarecrow in LM P2 is now called Alpine. Building on three successes in WEC in Spa, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and at the Nürburgring, Philippe Sinault's team took a comfortable lead over its rivals before entering the unprecedented meeting in Mexico City this weekend.

The A460s n°35 and n°36 will try to play the leading roles again, in a round that the teams are approaching somewhat in vagueness due to the particular conditions due to the altitude. Despite this parameter, optimism reigns in the Blues clan.

Very lively on the Le Mans track with its long straights, the A460 and the Oreca 05s in general could show themselves to their advantage in Mexico. However, we will have to wait for the first runs, in particular to see the impact of altitude on the performance of the prototypes.

“We enter this meeting with a good lead in the championship, but we know that a lot can happen in six-hour races, confesses Nicolas lapierre. We must continue to work, without leaving anything to chance, to continue our progress.

The autodrome seems pleasant from a driving point of view, with a long straight line, fast curves and several overtaking zones. In terms of settings, it will be necessary to take into account the heat, but also the altitude which will influence engine performance and aerodynamic load. »

For his part, Philippe Sinault remains humble and cautious before starting the extra-European tour of the WEC, especially with regard to the No. 36, which is clearly aiming for laurels at the end of the year. Last year, it was at the end of the championship that Signatech raised its level, winning a victory in China.

“We have been accustomed to this exercise for several seasons, but it is always a delicate phase with two cars to manage. The rounds will follow one another at a frantic pace and our small community will live in commando mode. Our three consecutive victories have validated our approach with the No. 36 and we will not change a thing.

It’s not about winning at all costs, but about evolving at a high pace to take advantage of every opportunity.. Even though we have a good lead, we cannot relax. »